With crayons or accordions, Ingrid Gatin likes to create

Posted by Sandra Thacker, SCENE Producer | Saturday April 6, 2013

I want people to experience something that touches them emotionally and makes them think about different aspects of their life and how they move through the world.

—Ingrid Gatin, singer/songwriter

It's surprising how attractive a broken tambourine and accordion can be in the right hands.

Even
though Ingrid Gatin started out on piano, she soon found herself intrigued
by other, less conventional instruments. When she decided to try her
hand at busking, she wanted something with keys, but more convenient, so
she bought an accordion.

Ingrid Gatin (Theodore Heffler)

"I've had a lot of comments about the
accordion," she recalls. "People just love it. People come up to me and
say 'I thought I hated the accordion!' I haven't been trained on the
accordion. I took one lesson and so it's very much my own style."

Gatin is always on the road, always touring, always
playing. Originally from Whitewood, Saskatchewan, she spent some time in
Brandon, then moved to Winnipeg six or seven years ago. She played with
The Magnificent Sevens for a while but always knew she loved playing solo.

She's recently been in Montreal where she has been recording, working with Howard Bilerman (Coeur de Pirate, Basia Bulat, Arcade Fire). "Working with Howard is amazing because he just has a really great aesthetic," she explains. "It's easy for us to agree on things. We have very similar ideas. We recorded partly in Winnipeg and partly at his studio in Montreal - Hotel2tango...he has a beautiful space there with the most amazing espresso machine."

Gatin's goal with her new album 1000 Lives is to create something people truly connect with. "I want people to experience something that touches them emotionally and makes them think about different aspects of their life and how they move through the world."

Creativity doesn't stop at music for Gatin, she's a visual artist as well. "I've taught some art classes and I did an artist residency in New Brunswick last winter. I just try to do as much as possible. I like to draw, I like to paint. I like to experiment. I even use crayons a lot," she says with a smile.

Ingrid Gatin is having a CD release party Saturday April 6 at the
Park Community Centre in Brandon. And on Wednesday April 10 she'll
perform at the West End Cultural Centre. She's the featured guest on
SCENE on Air with host Ismaila Alfa on
Saturday April 6. The show airs every
Saturday
from 5 - 6
p.m. on CBC Radio One, 89.3 FM/990 AM/97.9 FM in Brandon.